GB2586571A

GB2586571A - Improvements in body monitoring T shirts and clothing

Info

Publication number: GB2586571A
Application number: GB1907670.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roberts Clint
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-05-30
Filing date: 2019-05-30
Publication date: 2021-03-03
Also published as: GB201907670D0

Abstract

A body monitoring clothing article which is used to read and monitor the functions of a body, for example during exercise. The article comprises a T shirt having a heart monitoring device located to the upper front centre-left of the garment. A contact strip for monitoring temperature is provided within the garment under the left arm. A blood pressure monitor band is included within the left sleeve. Body and muscle mass variants are measured via vertically inserted intelligent body ribs in the arms and torso area. The monitoring features are powered by a battery and are linked to a central data storage and transmittal section by a data ribbon. The flexing or bending of the ribs may be compared with data pertaining to the average shape of a person wearing the shirt to estimate the wearer’s body mass.

Description

PATENT APPLICATION

OF

CLINT ROBERTS

FOR

IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY MONITORING T SHIRTS AND CLOTHING

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to clothing which is used to monitor the body's head rate, temperature and other vital statistics.

Background

The use of body monitoring methods in clothing is already cited in patent documents and they comprise contact areas which are provided inside a garment such as a T Shirt and have means through electrical devices to collect information and display, store and deliver it to the user, often during exercise.

Various examples exist in the prior ad and include the following: This is shown in patent US8818478 (SCHEFFLER, MASLANY) wherein a sensor garment including a harness is shown. In one exemplary embodiment, the sensor garment includes a textile portion, a device-retention element coupled to the textile portion, and a stretchable harness coupled to the textile portion. The harness includes a conductive element disposed between layers of film. The conductive element includes a first termination point at the device retention element, configured to connect to a monitor device. The conductive element includes a second termination point configured to connect to a sensor or transceiver.

Patent US8224418 (BURTON, SORTVISTO) shows a garment adapted for monitoring a user's heart rate which includes material, a transmitter, one or more electrodes, and a power source. The transmitter, electrodes, and power source are integrated with the material. The electrodes and power source are operatively coupled to the transmitter, and the electrodes are responsive to the user's heart rate. The garment is adapted for being worn, washed, and discarded with the electrodes, transmitter, and power source integrated therewith. A method of monitoring heart rate includes integrating a transmitter, electrodes, and power source with a garment, coupling the electrodes operatively to the transmitter, coupling the power source operatively to the transmitter, and adapting the garment for being worn, washed, and discarded with the transmitter, electrodes, and power source integrated therewith.

Patent CN103431847 (WANG, LI, LONG; LIU) shows a domestic medical-care monitoring shirt. The domestic medical-care monitoring shirt comprises an electronic thermometer, an electric sphygmomanometer, an electronic pulsimeter, a processor, a memorizer, a USB interface, a battery, a wireless Bluetooth and a GSM module, wherein the electronic thermometer is located on the inner side of the axilia portion of the shirt, the electronic sphygmomanometer is located on the inner side of a sleeve, the electronic pulsimeter is located in the portion, corresponding to the shirt, of the heart, the processor, the memorizer, the USB interface, the battery, the wireless Bluetooth and the GSM module are installed in the shirt, the battery is connected with the processor through a wire, and the processor is connected with the electronic thermometer, the electric sphygmomanometer, the electronic pulsimeter, the memorizer, the USB interface, the wireless Bluetooth and the GSM module through wires respectively. The domestic medical-care monitoring shirt can collect parameters like body temperatures; blood pressure and heartbeats of human bodies at any time, monitor the parameters in real time and transmit the parameters to a diagnosis system of a PC through the Bluetooth, doctors in a hospital can monitor the body temperatures, the blood pressure and the heartbeat frequencies of the human bodies only by using the computer, and therefore the domestic medical-care monitoring shirt is convenient to use and practical.

Patent CN202932052 (HUANG) discloses an intelligent health care T-shirt. A micro instrument capable of monitoring the viscera such as the heart, the blood pressure and the lung; an alarm and a wireless communication device are arranged at the cheat position of an ordinary underclothes T-shirt, the micro instrument can monitor health conditions at important positions of a user's body anytime and anywhere, and monitored dangerous signals are sent to a mobile phone number, a QQ number and the like set in a preset program through alarm humming and wireless transmission. Technically, critical problems are solved by aid of modern technologies, difficulties do not exist, and therefore the quality of life can be improved.

Patent CN206025255 (ZHOU) shows a can monitor cardiac disease's T-shirt, including ciothing article being a T-shirt and intelligent electrostethophone, intelligence electrostethophone make up on the T -shirt, intelligence electrostethophone includes miniature sonic transducer, miniature heart sound resolving device and signal microprocessor, wherein, miniature sonic transducer is connected to miniature heart sound resolving device, and it is used for gathering sound and changes moulding with sound and plan voltage signal, miniature heart sound resolving device is connected to signal microprocessor and it is used for changing data signal into to the analog voltage signal that the sonic transducer produced, signal microprocessor is used for handling and outside output signal data signal. The utility model discloses simple structure has the commonality, is applicable to all kinds of crowds and dresses, and carries out real time monitoring.

The prior art therefore shows that there is a need for a more effective monitoring clothing item, such as a T shirt which provides a wider range of monitoring possibilities and functions.

The present invention aims to provide a body monitoring clothing article which has additional features and functions to aid the wearer therefore.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention there is provided an article of clothing such as a T shirt with devices for reading and body monitoring of various functions, levels and rates. The heart rate can be read using the invention by way of a heart monitoring device which is implanted within the T shirt, located to the upper frontal area of the garment. The heart monitoring device is a thin planar metal disc which acts and responds in the same way as a stethoscope and hears the beats of the heart and transfers them into a counted rate, which it continually monitors. Information from the device is sent to a central data storage and transmittal section, located in the right upper arm. The body temperature is also monitored via a contact strip located under the left arm area, near the pit of the arm, as shown in Figure 1. This strip takes a constant temperature reading and returns it to the central data storage and transmittal section. Body mass is also monitored using the T shirt by way of six inserted ribs which flex to the shape of the person. The data storage knows the average shape of a person who would be wearing a T shirt of the size used. For example; if the wearer is wearing an XL sized shirt then the rib will flex or 'bend' within the shirt body to the shape of the person's torso. Therefore; if the person is larger than an XL; then the data storage will use the amount by which the ribs have 'bent' against the average weight and size of an XL wearer, giving an excess measurement and estimated body mass.

This information is then transmitted to an app on a mobile device from the data storage and transmittal section thereto. On the mobile app the user can check all of their vital signs as they exercise or afterwards, to access how they performed. This information can be used to set goals in fitness or body status over long periods, to be re-monitored and saved as ongoing. This information can be general and used by persons going to a gym, or it could be used for research by them. Further use includes sports teams, sports brands but also our health services such as the NHS (National Health Service) to further include hospitals around the world.

Due to the level of close monitoring the garment could potentially save a life, as if it has detected a missed heartbeat which is something the heart monitor would note or any problem other life threatening issue, it sends a signal to the app on the mobile phone. This could also be supported by an alert, being audible to the user from the garment or the mobile device.

The monitoring of blood pressure is also possible by means of a tensioned band set into the left sleeve which has a blood pressure monitoring method built in, to ensure that the reading is as accurate as possible using the latest technologies.

The band may be of a slightly inflated nature which remains comfortable when the arm is inserted through it. The inflated band provides sufficient pressure to the upper arm to enable it to take the measure as the band then slightly deflates.

As an alternative the band may not need to inflate or deflate and a digital monitoring method may be used. These are found in known smart watches or other wrist type devices however, wrist blood pressure monitors are extremely sensitive to body position. To get an accurate reading when taking your blood pressure with a wrist monitor, your arm and wrist must be at heart level. Even then, blood pressure measurements taken at the wrist are usually higher and less accurate than those taken at your upper arm. That's because the wrist arteries are narrower, and not as deep under your skin as those of the upper arm.

Some people can't have their blood pressure measured at the upper arm because they have a very large arm or find blood pressure measurements painful. In these cases, measuring blood pressure at the wrist is acceptable.

The T shirt may also use a movement or step count which can therefore also count calories burnt, based on this average. In a second embodiment and further embodiments; other articles of clothing which can use the aforementioned monitoring methods include gloves; watches, wristbands; headbands, vests and footwear. This can extend to any variant of clothing wrrich is able to contact in the correct areas, to provide readings.

The monitoring of muscle mass and muscle growth rate may also be possible using further intelligent ribbing located on the arm, with this feature also using the body ribbing as aforementioned for body mass.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based; may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the Patent Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims; nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide new and improved body monitoring clothing which has all the advantages of the prior art body monitoring clothing articles and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide new body monitoring clothing which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide new and improved body monitoring clothing which is of durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide new and improved body monitoring clothing which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labour, and which accordingly is then susceptible of:ow prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a product available to the buying public.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved body monitoring clothing which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention; its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

Brief description of figures

Figure 1 shows a frontal view of a body monitoring clothing T shirt and its implanted features for body monitoring, sending the measurements to a phone app.

Figure 2 shows a person running while wearing the body monitoring T shirt. Figure 3 shows a rear through view of the body monitoring T shirt.

Figure 4 shows a person running while wearing the body monitoring clothing T shirt.

Detailed description of figures

A typical embodiment of the body monitoring clothing is shown in Figure 1. It comprises a T shirt 1, which has a heart monitoring device 7 that is located within the garment fabric and contacts with the skin on an open side surface. A contact strip 6 is located within the garment to the area below the left arm, as shown; this provides the means to monitor the user's temperature. The body mass, muscle mass and muscle growth are estimated using inserted intelligent ribs 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15 which flex and bend to the shape of a person's body to determine mass through body configuration.

These are linked via a data ribbon upper section 16 to the central data storage and transmittal section 3. A blood pressure monitor band 13 is located in the right sleeve of the garment and is also linked via Bluetooth (TRADE MARK) to the central data storage and transmittal section 3.

All features as aforementioned are powered via a micro battery 8 which is rechargeable via its removal and plug in to a mains supply.

Data which is read from the said features is transmitted to a mobile device 2 to be received via an app and read or stored for compilation.

Figure 2 shows a person wearing the T shirt 1A, which demonstrates the flexing inserted intelligent ribs 4A, 5A, 12A and 14A. The blood pressure monitor band 13A is also shown at this angle; these all send information to be processed and sent from the central data storage and transmittal section 3A.

Figure 3 shows a rear view of the T shirt 1B with a heart monitoring device 7B located within the garment. Contact strip 6B which is located within the garment to the area below the left arm. The body mass, muscle mass and muscle growth are estimated using inserted intelligent ribs 4B, 5B, 9B, 10B, 11B, 12B, 14B and 15B which flex and bend to the shape of a person's body to determine mass through body configuration.

Data ribbon upper section 16B and the data ribbon link 17 locate to the central data storage and transmittal section 3B. Blood pressure monitor band 13B is located in the right sleeve of the garment and is also linked via Bluetooth to the central data storage and transmittal section 3B. With micro battery 8B and mobile device 2B shown.

Figure 4 shows the T shirt 1C being worn by a person when running.

Claims

Claims 1) A body monitoring clothing article comprising; a T shin having means to monitor a person's body via features; to include a heart monitoring device located to the upper front centre-left of the garment; further comprising temperature monitoring via a contact strip within the garment under the left arm and a blood pressure monitor band within the left sleeve and body and muscle mass variants measured via vertical inserted intelligent body ribs to the arms and torso area, a battery powers said features which are linked to a central data storage and transmittal section, by means of a data ribbon, together defining a device.
2) A body monitoring clothing article according to claim 1 wherein, said device further comprises Bluetooth (TRADE MARK) blood pressure data transmittal.
3) A body monitoring clothing article according to claim 1 wherein, said heart monitoring device listens to the heat rate.
4) A body monitoring clothing article as claimed in claim 1 wherein, a contact strip is inserted within the garment material.
5) A body monitoring clothing article as claimed in claim 1 wherein, a blood pressure monitor band is inserted into the left garment sleeve.
6) A body monitoring clothing article as claimed in claim 1 wherein, intelligent ribs are inserted into the arms and torso of the garment.
7) A body monitoring clothing article as claimed in claim 1 wherein, all data gathered from said features is sent via a data ribbon to a central data storage and transmittal section.
8) A body monitoring clothing article as claimed in claim 1 wherein, all data gathered from a blood pressure band is sent via Bluetooth (TRADE MARK) to a central data storage and transmittal section.
9) A body monitoring clothing article as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the said features of the garment may also be incorporated into any other suitable article of clothing including; gloves, watches, wristbands, headbands, vests and footwear.
10) A body monitoring clothing article according to any preceding claim; is a T shirt which monitors the body during exercise or during longer term wearing periods.
11) A body monitoring clothing article as substantially herein described with reference to the figures.